The Race: As the race began ascending the south face of the Stelvio, a group of six were four minutes off the front of a peloton that had regrouped after the Mortirolo. From that front group Thomas de Gendt, then Mikel Nieve and Damiano Cunego took off. Back in a now reduced maglia rosa group, things slowed way down with no one willing to make a hard pace. Basso was toast and was in no position to help.

Garmin-Barracuda called Christian Vande Velde back from the break to help Ryder Hesjedal. After Vande Velde did a huge amount of work and swung off, Hesjedal took the reasonability of pacing his group. If De Gendt's growing lead weren't dealt with, De Gendt would be the new Giro leader. Up front, De Gendt was maintaining his lead, keeping Cunego a minute back. And that's how they finished, his lead being reduced only when the maglia rosa group began the final kilometers. De Gendt took a fabulous victory on the Giro's iconic climb.

With two kilometers to go, the exhausted riders in the Pink Jersey group started to get active. Scarponi took off and Hesjedal couldn't answer. Joaquin Rodriguez sat on Hesjedal's wheel for a bit, then jumped after Scarponi, passing him, getting fourth place and enough points to take the red sprinter's jersey from Mark Cavendish. Hesjedal rolled in two seconds after Scarponi, back to a half-minute behind Rodriguez in the GC. Tomorrow is the last stage, a time trial in Milan. Hesjedal is favored to gain enough time to win the 2012 Giro d'Italia.

Results :

Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil) 6hr 54min 51sec. 38.831 km/hr

Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 56sec

Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) @ 2min 50sec

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 3min 22sec

Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 3min 34sec

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 3min 36sec

John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 4min 29sec

Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 4min 53sec

Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 4min 55sec

Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 5min 39sec

Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 5min 53sec

Ben Hermans (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 7min 58sec

Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 8min 32se3c

Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 9min 10sec

Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 9min 17sec

Johann Tschopp (BMC) @ 9min 38sec

Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 11min 0sec

Andrey Amador (Movistr) s.t.

Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 11min 35sec

Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 12min 6sec

Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 13min 16sec

Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 14min 4sec

Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 14min 4sec

Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick step) @ 16min 18sec

Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 16min 24sec

Miguel Angel Rubiano (Androni Giocattoli) @ 16min 27sec

Thomas Rohregger (Radio shack-Nissan) @ 16min 39sec

Mathieu Perget (Ag2r) @ 17min 2sec

Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 17min 46sec

Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 18min 11sec

Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 19min 34sec

Sergio Pardilla (Movistar) s.t.

Diego Ulussi (Lampre) @ 20min 9sec

Enrico Gasparotto (Astana) @ 20min 42sec

Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 21min 27sec

Jon Izaguirre (Euskaltel) s.t.

Paolo Tialongo (Astana) @ 22min 5sec

Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 22min 17sec

Oliver Zaugg (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 22min 50sec

Ben Gastauer (Ag2r) @ 25min 55sec

Guillaume Bonnafond (Ag2r) s.t.

Geoggrey Soupe (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 28min 23sec

Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 30min 53sec

José Rodolfo Serpa (Androni Giocattoli) @ 35min 59sec

Mathias Frank (BMC) @ 36min 8sec

Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) @ 36min 31sec

Matteo Carrara (Vacansoleil) @ 36min 37sec

Alberto Losada (Katusha) s.t.

Matteo Bono (Lampre) s.t.

GC after Stage 20:

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 91hr 4min 16sec

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barrcuda) @ 31sec

Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 1min 51sec

Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil) @ 2min 18sec

Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 3min 18sec

Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 3min 43sec

Rigobeto Uran (Sky) @ 4min 52sec

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 5min 47sec

Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) @ 5min 56sec

John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 6min 53sec

Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 7min 20sec

Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 12min 14sec

Johann Tschopp (BMC) @ 12min 34sec

Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 13min 28sec

Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 18min 9sec

Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 19min 2sec

Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 24min 32sec

Sergio Pardilla (Movistar) @ 26min 47sec

Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 33min 33sec

Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 34min 12sec

Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 35min 59sec

Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 38min 27sec

Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 40min 15sec

Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 48min 0sec

Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 49min 42sec

Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 50min 16sec

Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 52min 1sec

Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 52min 36sec

Andrey Amador (Movistar) @ 53min 38sec

Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 56min 53sec

Thomas Rohregger (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1hr 4min 6sec

Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 9min 50sec

Kevin Seeldrayers (Astana) @ 1hr 15min 55sec

Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1hr 19min 18sec

Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 1hr 24min 33sec

Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 24min 57sec

Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 1hr 25min 22sec

Benat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 1hr 25min 52sec

Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre) @ 1hr 31min 2sec

Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) @ 1hr 32min 33sec

Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 32min 38sec

José Herrada (Movistar) @ 1hr 36min 3sec

Marco Pinotti (BMC) @ 1hr 36min 17sec

Branislau Samoilau (Movistar) @ 1hr 37min 20sec

Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 37min 25sec

Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF) @ 1hr 39min 40sec

Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 1hr 42min 2sec

Jon Iziaguirre (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 47min 21sec

Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 51min 28sec

Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 57min 13sec

Points Competition

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 139 points

Mark Cavendish (Sky): 138

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda): 103

Michele Scarponi (Lampre): 81

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 80

Climbers' Competition

Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini): 84 points

Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF): 44

Andrey Amador (Movistar): 43

Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 34

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 26

Young Rider

Rigoberto Uran (Sky) 91hr 9min 8sec

Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 2min 29sec

Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 8min 36sec

Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 31min 7sec

Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 43min 8sec

Team GC:

Lampre: 272hr 34min 29sec

Movistr @ 8min 53sec

Sky @ 38min 53sec

Astana @ 41min 53sec

Euskaltel @ 51min 44sec

Stage 20 map and profile

Stage 20 map

Stage 20 profile

Stage 20 photos

Thomas De Gendt makes his way up the Stelvio.

Michele has finally attacked near the top.

Ryder Hesjedal works to limit the damge with Joaquin Rodriguez on his wheel.

Damiano Cunego was a minute behind De Gendt.

Mikel Nieve was chasing Cunego, but well ahead of the Hesjedal group.

Hesjdeal tried to drop Rodriguez

But not today. Rodriguez dropped Hesjedal and went past Scarponi.

Thre's the summit. You can turn left and go to Switzerland via the Umbrial Pass or keep going down the Stelvio's 48 switchbacks. Last time I rode it, the Umbrial was still unpaved.

Thomas De Gendt takes a well-earned victory

Cunego comes in a minute later.

Joaquin Rodriguez sand the gap to Hesjedal back to 31 seconds and takes the red points jersey from Cavendish.

Scarponi looks back to see if he inflicted any damage of Hesjedal. Probably not enough.

John Gadret attacked several times on the stelvio, but didn't quite have enough horsepower to make them stick.

Who will be wearing the maglia rosa tomorrow afternoon, after the time trial.